Peters



' @limited 'tatet JOHN A. BRADSHAW AND.WILLIAM H. BROWN, OF LOWELL, MAS

SACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 85,900, dated Januafry 19, 1869.

IMIPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN A. BRADSHAW and WILLIAM H. BROWN, both ofLowell, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have.invented new and useful Iniproveilnents in Vater-Meters; and we dohereby declare that the followingr is a. full and exact descriptionthereof, reference heilig had to the accompanying drawings, and to thelet-ters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in providing a water-meter thatwill be self-operating, its several devices being encased and protectedby suitahl" "overings or shells, and operated therein.

This invention accomplishes a twofold object: rst, in measuring theamount ot' water used, or which passes through the same, accurately;second, whilst the water is passing through the same, by its peculiararrangement of' devices, the water may be forced from the same to anypart of the building required.

The object of this invention is to provide and furnish a meter that willaccurately measure and indi cate the amount of water used, and force thesame as desired, combining in itself compactness, durability, cheapness,utility, and strength.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, wewill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1 represents a plan oiour improvedwatermeter.

Figure 2 represents a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 represents a plan ofthe bott-om case, with its cover removed,showing the operation ofthe levers, cams, and devices contained therein.

Figureirepresents a plan of the meter-case, showing the location andoperation ofthe cylinder' with its float and footholds.

Figure 5 represents a section through A and B ofg. 1

Similar letters in the di'erent figures indicate corresponding parts. -i

a represents the bottom plate, on and to which is secured, by means ofscrews or boltsthe case b. The periphery of this case, b, is providedwith an orifice, which connects with the pipe or tank by means of thecoupling b', for the supply of water to the meter.

c is the meter-case, which is finished as desired, and secured to thecase b by means of screws or bolts.

The inside surface of case c is Finished on a true circle from thecentre of the same, and provided with oval recesses in its periphery,located on aline directly across its axis, ot' proper size and shape forthe reception of the footholds ll and d'.

These footholds (their inside surface being finished true 'on a radiuswith the meter-case c) are provided with suitable elastic packings, eand e', which are secured -to the wings f and f' of the same.

These wings, f and f', when closed, are kept in po sition by theadjustable 'screws y and y', which are located and pass through the casec, near the top and bottom ot' said wings j' and f,

The hotholds (l and d are further provided with shafts le. and h. Theirjournals are iitted in bearings in the plate ot' the outlet-case i.,which is secured to thc meter-case c, the other ends of said shaftspassing through bearings in the plate p', on which are located thclevers yi. and j, they lming provided With frictionrollersj and lr.

Secured to the outlet-case i is the plate or cap k', which may be usedfor a dial, oradial may be secured to the same.

Between this cap k. and outlet-case i, a chamber or recess, I, isformed, for the reception of packing, if required.

l is a chamber, which is formed in th outlet-case fi, this chamber beingsupplied with a discharge-orifice, m.

m is a cylinder', its` length corresponding with the depth ofthemeter-case c, its diameter ofthe required size, its ends being recessedand supplied with a receiving-orifice, n, and discharge-orifice n',through the periphery or rim of the cylinder 'm'.

This cylinder' m is also furnished with a suitable tloat, o, which isfirmly secured' to the periphery of the same, and is provided withelastic packing o on its three working -sides, which constitutes itselfpacking.

The cylinder m is firmly secured to the shaft p, which passes throughits centre, bearings being formed inthe cap l, and projection-plate 1)in the case b.

This projection-plate p' is provided with holes g qq, as indicated byred lilies in iig. 3, the area of them all being double thc area ofthedischarge-orifice m.

This plate p is further provided with a packingring, q', which isopelated by means of the springs 'n v c, its diameter being .the same asthe cylinder on', which completely seals and packs both cndsof the saidcylinder.

Attached to the cxtreme end ofthe shaft p, directly over the dial-plateL, is the needle or finger c.

Secured to the other end of said shaft is the double cam s and s',the"workhlg-periphery of the cam s operating directly against the levers'i' and j, which close the footholds d and d' alternately.

'lhe workiiig-periphery ofthe cam s operates against thefriction-rollers 7" and k, which open and keep open alternately thet'ootholds (l and d', which, with thc assistance oi' theV pressure ofwater against the same, prevent the escape of water between thefootholds (l and d' and periphery of the cylinder m'.

The meter being thus constructed, and its several devices arranged,adjusted, and enclosed in their respective cases, it is then ready foruse. Water being let into the same through thecoupling 1)',illing thecase b by its pressure, it then passes through the holes q q q,represented by red circles in fig. 3 of the drawings, in and through theorifice n. The pressure of this Water against the float o causes thecylinder m to revolve, carrying the cams s and s', which operate'thelevers z" andj, opening and closing the footholds :l and d just at theright moment to discharge the water through the orifice 'nl in thecylinder ymy' to the chamber l', Where it is forced through'thedischarge-criticil m into pipes, and thence conveyed as desired. I

This arrangement of the cams s and s' and levers 'i' andj operatinr thefootholds l and d', forms a perfect and self-adjusting cut-olf, so muchso, they being so nicely adjusted, that there is no connection betweenthe two orifices n and n. simultaneously, but they are entirelydisconnected and separated; to wit, whilst the orifice In is receivingthe water and filling the spaciu,

as seen in fig. 4, between the footholds Il and floatc,

this water received cannot be discharged through the on'ce '1l-until thefloat o passes the footholdd, and is cut offby the same; then this waterreceived is compelled to discharge -through the oriiice n' with force,by the action ofthe float o, which is carried forward bya new supply ofwater passing through the orificen.

The measurement and capacity' of the meter-case c, with one revolution of the cylinder m', being indicated by the linger yc' over the dial li,the obse1ver,at sight, is enabled correctly to tell the number of quartsor gallons of water discharged and used, thus forming an accurate,reliable, self-operating pressure-meter.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isd 1. In combination with'the footholds d and d', the double cam s ands and levers i. and j, when arranged to operate the same alternately, asdescribed, and for the purposes fully set forth.

2. The combination and arrangement ofthe case b, double cam s and s',levers fi' and j, with friction-mlb ers j' and 7:, meter-case c,cylinder m', wit-h float o, footholds d and d', with their packing e ande', outlet-case -i, dial 1.", and chambers l and Z', all when arrangedto operate substantially as herein described.

JOHN A. BRADSHAW. WVMJH. BROWN` Witnesses:

R. T. RAWsoN, GEO. E. PEvEY.

